Norsk ‘rapid plasma’ machines headed to Plattsburgh

Norsk Titanium has announced the delivery of a dozen machines that will expand production capacity at their Plattsburgh facility by 60 percent.

PLATTSBURGH — Norsk Titanium has announced that a dozen of their 3D printing machines are headed to the North Country.

The company announced the transfer of their proprietary “rapid plasma deposition” machines at the Paris Air Show on Monday.

The development will allow the manufacturer of three-dimensional titanium airplane parts to boost their production capacity by 60 percent.

New York State has committed funding for the purchase of the units on top of the 20 already in place or on the way, said North Country Chamber of Commerce President Garry Douglas.

The units, which are capable of producing up to 20 tons of printed material annually, are part of a trade purchase agreement with the Fort Schuyler Management Corporation and Empire State Development.

Douglas said a lot has happened since last year’s initial official confirmation of Norsk’s plans to set up a production facility in Plattsburgh — including the commitment by Boeing to test the new process for possible future orders.

“Just one year later, Boeing has approved the technology and placed its first order,” Douglas said. “Others are coming and seeing, and we are now online for 32 machines and an amazing state of the art production and research facility at the old airport.”

Additional details on those efforts will be announced soon, he said.

Plattsburgh is the first U.S. site for the Norway-based manufacturer.

Norsk, which has cited the area’s existing transportation infrastructure, skilled labor force and proximity to the aerospace supply chain for their decision to launch operations, has said they will hire hundreds of employees over the next several years.

NCCC led a two-year effort to secure the city as the site for the $250 million operation, which joins the more than 30 transportation equipment and aerospace companies who already have a presence in the region.

“The global aerospace community is really buzzing about Norsk and Plattsburgh,” Douglas said.

The new order will begin delivery in mid-2018.

“Norsk Titanium’s new production and development facilities will bolster the North Country’s advanced manufacturing sector and the increasing demand for their products is great news for the local economy,” said Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Howard Zemsky. “Norsk continues to meet or exceed their commitments to the state and we look forward to their continued growth in Upstate New York.”